barnsley

Newcastle United 3 Barnsley 0

St. James’ Park… Sunday May 7th… 3pm

Attendance: 52,276

Those last five crazy minutes. That’s why we do it….

Dwight Gayle was wandering back to the halfway line for the restart as the the news came through. The noise was incredible. Laughing one minute, crying the next, utter hysteria…

Then the final whistle and the wait for word from Villa Park; and then, for the second time, the noise…

Second Half: 3-0 Up, All Eyes On Villa Park…

It feels like more of an achievement than 1993 or 2010. It was harder earned, there were setbacks along the way…

After wins at Brighton and Huddersfield, the title looked like a foregone conclusion. However, leaving Portman road last month, there were real doubts as to whether automatic promotion would be achieved at all. But when it mattered, into the last three games and seven points behind, the players pulled it off. Brighton didn’t bottle it, the league table doesn’t lie, we were just that little bit better…

Newcastle United, EFL Champions 2017, and a small taste of what could have happened on the last day in 1996, if only the stars had aligned…

Thank You Rafa…

Champions…

Newcastle United; Elliot, Yedlin, Hayden (Haidara 13), Mbemba, Dummett, Atsu, Shelvey (Diame 72), Colback, Gouffran, Perez (Gayle 80), Mitrovic

Not Used; Lazaar, Anita, Darlow, Murphy

Goals; Perez (23), Mbemba (59), Gayle (90)

Barnsley; Davies, Janko, Jackson, MacDonald, Elder, James, Hedges (Watkins 54), Scowen, Moncur, Kent (Williams 74), Bradshaw (Lee 74)

Not Used; Townsend, Evans, Mowatt, Jones

Goals; None

As usual, more pictures on flickr…

Birmingham City 0 Barnsley 3

St. Andrew’s… December 3rd… 3pm

Attendance: 17,072

Ticket: £25 – Programme: £3

No tickets available for Forest, Nuneaton more than a little depressing at the moment, so off to St. Andrew’s again…

First Half: Barnsley Get Things Started…

Not altogether certain whether Barnsley were good, or whether Birmingham just made them look good. The Tykes controlled the first half for long periods, having a couple of strong penalty appeals turned down before scoring their first goal right on half-time. No one could claim that it wasn’t deserved…

Second half, everyone expected Birmingham to come out with a different mentality, but it never materialised. David Davis got himself sent off for the rashest of late challenges before Barnsley scored a second and a third in close succession in the closing stages. 3-0 didn’t flatter them, I just hope that Birmingham play as poorly at our place next week…

First Half: Barnsley Prepare to Take a Free Kick…

Anyway, with the benefit of hindsight, I’m rather glad that I didn’t buy a ticket in the Brian Clough Stand For Friday night’s match. Even as a very quiet non-drinker, I’m not sure how I would have coped with the refereeing debacle that unfolded…

Oh, and Nuneaton won 4-1…

Birmingham City; Kuszczak; Dacres-Cogley (YC), Morrison, Shotton, Grounds; Cotterill (YC) (Brown 71), Tesche, Kieftenbeld (Stewart 60), Davis (RC), Donaldson, Jutkiewicz (Adams 60)

Not Used; Legzdins, Robinson, Gleeson, Solomon-Otabor

Goals; None

Barnsley; Davies; Bree, Roberts, MacDonald, Yiadom; Scowen, Hourihane, Morsy (YC) (Hammill 89), Kent (YC) (Williams 85); Bradshaw, Winnall (Janko 89)

Not Used; Townsend, Evans, Kpekawa, Armstrong

Goals; Roberts (38), Winnall (84, 87)

As usual, more pictures on flickr…